Automatic mail-box signal



s. E flsmmsn" AUTOMATIGMAIL BOX SIGNAL;

APPLICAHON FiLED OCT. 8,1920? 1,380, 164, Patented May 31, 1921.

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INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

v sits stares SIDNEY n. srra'rroien, or ASI-IDOWN, anxansns.

AUTOIVIA'I'IC MAIL-BOX SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1921.,

Application filed October 8, 1920. Serial No. 415,467.

T0 allwliomz't may concern:

Be it known that'I, SIDNEY E. STAFFORD, citizen of the United States,residing at Ashdown, in the county of Little Rlver and State ofArkansas, have invented certa n new and useful Improvements in AutomaticMail-Box Signals, of which the following is a specification. I a

The present invention relates to improve ments in mailboxes and moreparticularly to an antomatic signal means therefor openable upon theopening of the mailbox.-

The. main object of my invention is to provide a mailbox signal which isautomatic in operation; that is wherein the flag or other signalingdevice is raised simultaneously with the opening of the lid of themailbox and remains in such position after the lid has been closed inorder to indicate that there is mail within the box.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter which is simple in construction, strong and durable, notlikely to get out of order and which it is believed may be manufacturedand placed upon the market at a reasonably low cost.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will becomeapparent during the continuance of the following description. I

p In the drawings The figure is a view in side elevation showing myinvention in its preferred embodiment, the flag being shown in a loweredor inoperative position in full line, and a raised or operative positionin dotted line.

In the drawings 10 designates the body of the mailbox which is ofsubstantially conventional form and which is provided at one end withthe hinged lid or door 11 as at 12. At its upper end the lid or door 11is provided with a catch 13 designed to engage with the catch 14 of thebody 10 when the door is in a closed position so as to retain the samein such closed position. The

lid or door 11 is further provided on one side with an outwardlyprojecting lug 15 for the purpose that will presently appear.

A lever 16 is pivoted at its lower end as at 17 to one side of themailbox 10 at a point toward the bottom of the latter and at its upperend carries a flag or other signal do vice 18. The lever 16 is in turnprovided with a pivoted arm 19 as at 20 the free end of which isenlarged as at 21 .to form a shoulder 22. The lower edge ofthe arm 19between the shoulder 22 and the pivot point 20 thereof normally rests onthe lug 15 of the lid or door 11 as is clearly shown in the drawing.Normally the lever 16 assumes the position shown in full line in thedrawing, the arm 19 resting on the lug 15 as clearly shown. However,when the lid or. door 11 is moved to an open position the lug 15 engagesthe shoulder 22 of the arm 19 thus moving the arm with the lid or doorinto the position as shown in dotted line in the drawing and at the sametime raises the lever 16 into the position also shown in dotted line."When'the lid or door 11 is returned to a closed "condition the lug 15slides freely on the lower edge of the arm l9 and the arm 19 is simplymoved on its pivot 20 without returning the lever 16 to its originalposition. 7

In order to insure the eficient operation of the device and at the sametime to provide for the limiting of the movement of the lever 16 atcertain times and the proper guiding of the arm 19 during its movementby the lug 15, I further provide the side of the body 10 of the mailboxwith a guide-rod 23 the ends of which are secured to the mailbox as at24 while its intermediate portion is offset with respect to the mailboxand between this and the side of the mailbox operates the lever 16.Another guide-rod 25 is provided to guide the arm 19 the same having itsends secured to the mailbox as at 26. The intermediate portion of thisguide-rod is also offset with respect to the side of the mailbox so thatthe arm 19 will be free to operate in a vertical plane. However it willprevent lateral movement of the arm 19 as is obvious.

Upon reference to the drawing it will be observed that the upper end ofthe guiderod 23 is fastened to the mailbox 10 at a point slightly inadvance of the pivot point of the lever 16 so that when the lever ismoved to its raised position, it will lie beyond its vertical center andassume a slightly forward tilted poition. Conse quently it will not belikely to fall back into its original position without being moved bythe operator.

While I do not wish to limit myself to any particular material used inthe construction of my device it is pointed out that the Having thusfully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1s 1. The combination with a mall box in cluding amovable door, of a lug carried by said door and projecting beyond theedge thereof, a lever pivotally mounted on the side of said mail box, anarm pivotally connected at one end to said lever, said arm provided witha notch adjacent its other end adapted to receive a portion of said lugwhereby when said door is opened said arm and said lever will be movedfrom their normal position, and means to limit the forward and rearwardmovement of said lever substantially as described,

2. The combination with a mail box including a movable door and means tonormally retain said door in a closed position, of av lug carried bysaid door and projecting from one side of said mail box, a leverpivotally mounted at its lower end on said mail box, a guide rod forsaid lever arranged in spaced relation to the side of said mail box toform a guide way, means securing the ends of said guide rod to said mailbox tolimit the forward and backward movement of said lever, said lastnamed means being sufficiently spaced to permit said lever to be movedbeyond a dead center, an arm pivotally connected at one end to saidlever at a point intermediate the ends of the latter, a shoulder formedat the other end of said arm to be engaged by said lug whereby saidlever will be operated when said door is moved to an open position, saidshoulder being so positioned whereby it will be disengaged from saidlugwhen said door moves toward its closed position, and said guide rodbeing arranged in spaced relation to the side of said mailbox therebyforming a guide way for said arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my slgnature 1n presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY E. STAFFORD. WVitnesses: i i

K. DRAPER, i J. R. WOOD.

